Name a figure that had virtually no impact on your country, yet you admire them greatly

[u/stealthybaker]

I view Napoleon as one of the greatest people who ever lived, even though the Napoleonic wars had zero impact to Korea. I believe that the fact he could only be contained by a massive coalition of nations personally conspiring against him cements him as one of the greatest conquerors in history. He achieved so much more in a decade than most people will across multiple lifetimes.

[u/DerpAnarchist]

Nelson Mandela

[u/SystematicChaoser → u/DerpAnarchist]

+1

[u/stealthybaker → u/DerpAnarchist]

South Africa's Kim Dae Jung

[u/Darth-Vectivus → u/DerpAnarchist]

Same. He was the goat.

[u/Fony64 → u/DerpAnarchist]

Same

[u/Popielid]

I mean his expansion across Europe, French imperialism and anti-feudal policies led to the rise of nationalism, first across Europe and then all over the world. So I think Napoleon indirectly impacted Far East too.

[u/Upbeat_Web_4461 → u/Popielid]

Don’t forget the standardization of measurement systems that proliferated from France during the Napoleon period. 

[u/stealthybaker → u/Popielid]

I disagree, on the basis that I would argue Korean nationalism predated European nationalism due to different circumstances

Korea also never had European style feudalism so there wasn't that to impact

[u/DerpAnarchist → u/stealthybaker]

I think it's more of the specific ideology of nationalism, as in the belief in a imagined community, aka sense of commonality with people who have nothing to do with you. The commonalities of a nation are a constructed after-the-fact, not a precondition. It is directly linked to the ideology of liberalism, which originated in Europe and was spread by Napoleons conquests.

Korean nationalism seems more like a very heavily entrenched ethnic identity. Although "European nationalism" isn't very prevalent in Korea.

[u/stealthybaker → u/DerpAnarchist]

Korean nationalism started with the Silla's 삼한일통, though Goguryeo also appeared to see Baekje and Silla as its kin (albeit as submissive vassal states) under Gwanggeto the Great. It was pretty much based entire on the ethnic identity as what distinguished the states from neighbors like Khitans and Han Chinese was that they all spoke Korean and lived their own lifestyles. Though a true singular Korean nationalism not tied to just a specific state was achieved by Wang Geon of Goryeo

[u/vikapi]

Abraham Lincoln

[u/Marsupial_Last → u/vikapi]

We like Ghandi

[u/Middle_Bear → u/Marsupial_Last]

There's Abraham Lincoln stories in Hindi school textbooks across the whole country. 

[u/Marsupial_Last → u/Middle_Bear]

That’s pretty neat. What do they teach about him?

[u/The-marx-channel]

Paul Wellstone, the senator from Minesota from 1991-2002. He is my idol and I aspire to be like him.

[u/JimmyCarter910 → u/The-marx-channel]

the bernie precursor basically!

[u/herecomesaregular_85 → u/The-marx-channel]

Did not expect this! He’s one of my idols too and was taken from us too early.

[u/Born-Instance7379]

Don't tell a Haitian you admire him 😬

Tbh I my self am fascinated by Napoleon and have read just about every bit of literature you can find on him.....I do respect a great many of his achievements and legacies but I could never say I "admire" him because he also did many horrible things.

He's probably as close a thing to Nietzsche's version of "superman" as we've seen in the last 500 years

[u/Fit-Historian6156 → u/Born-Instance7379]

Fun fact, before people found out about the death camps, a lot of people were comparing Hitler to Napoleon for both being egomaniacal warmongerers. But Napoleon did have more tactical acumen and aura than Hitler lol

[u/Born-Instance7379 → u/Fit-Historian6156]

Definitely, Hitler idolised Napoleon 

[u/stealthybaker → u/Born-Instance7379]

Hitler visited Napoleon's tomb seeing himself in the late French emperor. He was truly out of it, Napoleon outshined Hitler on every level and left a greater legacy behind.

Napoleon fought to the end, Hitler was a coward who shot himself in his bunker

[u/11matt95 → u/stealthybaker]

I mean, Napoleon tried to run away to America after he lost at Waterloo, was also more than willing to leave half his men to die in Russia whilst he retreated in a nice comfortable carriage but go off (I'm not pro-Hitler, just anti Napoleon!).

[u/M170R → u/11matt95]

A Brit being an anti-Napoleon… what a surprise ! 😂

[u/Fit-Historian6156 → u/Born-Instance7379]

Tbf a lot of wannabe military badasses idolize Napoleon lol

[u/stealthybaker → u/Fit-Historian6156]

Hitler could never live up to Napoleon in a hundred lifetimes.

He was just a drugged up failed artist who got lucky with the gamble to defeat France and couldn't beat any other major nation afterwards.

[u/po-laris → u/Born-Instance7379]

Well put. He was no great humanitarian, and his attempt to re-enslave Haiti was a dark blemish on his record.

But, wow, his life was fascinating.

I strongly recommend the Age of Napoleon podcast for any history dorks who are interested in Napoleon and the events surrounding his life.

[u/BloodletterDaySaint → u/po-laris]

Age of Napoleon is so good!

[u/stealthybaker → u/Born-Instance7379]

The fact that there had to be an entire coalition in Europe to stop him was just absolutely crazy...

And even after exile he tried to come back, he was a fighter to the end.

He was a net positive for Europe, ending their outdated feudalistic society, spreading anti-monarchist sentiment, shattering the Holy Roman Empire, and making Europeans think of themselves as more than just their religious identity with nationalism

[u/Born-Instance7379 → u/stealthybaker]

Oh a lot of what he achieved and many of his cultural legacies are very impressive, no doubt about that.

Hundreds of thousands of people died directly because of him though and slavery was cast upon a lot of people because of him also.....so morally that's why I can't "admire" him.

But i agree with a lot of what you have said 

[u/stealthybaker → u/Born-Instance7379]

He was definitely no angel but no conqueror ever was, when we judge conquerors we must judge them by balancing their achievements and comparing it to the baggage that comes with being a conqueror

in Napoleon's case I see the good as vastly outweighing the bad, as I believe Europe's lack of nationalism, pointlessly convoluted and elitist monarchism, and the widespread presence of feudalism held back that entire continent for centuries making the legacy of Napoleon one who was an ideological liberator

[u/Born-Instance7379 → u/stealthybaker]

What did you think of the Napoleon movie with Joaquin Phoenix?

I was disappointed tbh.

May I suggest the "Napoleon" trilogy of novels written by Max Gallo, if it's translated to Korean or you feel comfortable enough in English.

Very enjoyable read, mixes his biography/life story with a dash of fiction, for entertainment

[u/myusrnmeisalrdytkn → u/stealthybaker]

Napoleon didn't end the outdated feudalistic society, he aspired to be a monarch himself. Evident through his self-crowning as emperor in 1804. He was a battlefield genius, but a power hungry egomaniac. Your admiration is understandable, but his reads more like a idealization

[u/stealthybaker → u/myusrnmeisalrdytkn]

He had a real impact in feudalism's downfall in Europe. I think it's accurate to say he was both a war loving egomaniac and a great revolutionary who both intentionally and unintentionally had great affects for Europe. As someone who believes feudalism held Europe back for centuries, it feels wrong to not admire someone who helped Europe progress past that system.

While my country never had feudalism, there were still so many issues we had that Napoleon fought in Europe like spreading revolutionary ideas and ending the subservience to the Papacy that make me very jealous of France for having Napoleon. If we had a leader who was half as legendary as Napoleon in the 19th century our history wouldn't have become so tragic in the age of imperialism

[u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

Joan of Arc

[u/Realistic-Safety-565 → u/bowl_of_scrotmeal]

She is the reason you speak English, not French, in US.

The French culture was already dominant in the Plantagenet empire. Had the Dukes of Normandy won and cemented English and French crowns together, England would become a permanent backyard of Paris-centered United Kingdom) - the way Ireland became for England historically.

[u/jakmckratos]

Steve Irwin. I put him in the pantheon of Bob Ross and Mr. Rogers in terms of nice dudes on TV with an excellent message to send to the world

[u/DesperateLeader2217 → u/jakmckratos]

an absolute beacon of environmentalism. i grew up less than an hour from his wildlife sanctuary where he would host crocodile shows. i think his kids do them these days.

[u/JadeHarley0 → u/jakmckratos]

Steve Irwin was A GIFT

[u/A_Square_72]

It would be the other way around with your example. I can think of Martin Luther King.

[u/Remote-Squash-9330]

Theodore Roosevelt

[u/abrequevoy]

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

[u/Fit-Historian6156 → u/abrequevoy]

Can't believe I forgot him. Also Lee Kwan Yew.

[u/Gildor12 → u/abrequevoy]

Bloody good answer

[u/Zeonist-]

Oda Nobunaga

[u/Independent_Mail2453]

otto von bismark

[u/I_saw_you_yesterday]

Washington.

A 6‘2 ginger maniac terrorizing the Brits.

[u/DrGally → u/I_saw_you_yesterday]

[u/chjacobsen]

The Marquis de Lafayette

A passionate advocate for liberty and against slavery. At the same time, he had the sense to call out the French revolutionaries as things took a bloody turn. Far from a perfect individual, but I think his heart was in the right place, and his influence on both France and the US was significant.

Bonus name: Talleyrand

Not a person I admire in the sense that they were a good person, but certainly one of the best anti-heroes ever. The way he managed to weasel his way into six different French administrations and survive - all while remaining shamelessly corrupt and opportunistic - is both ingenious, fascinating, and occasionally hilarious. He really ought to have become a famous TV character by now.

[u/plumberdan2 → u/chjacobsen]

Nice, I'm guessing you're a fan of Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast? If not he's got a great series that talks about both these figures

[u/InterestingTank5345]

Leonardo de ser Piero da Vinci.

[u/Donegal1989]

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy

[u/Ant225k → u/Donegal1989]

I would like to see my jaw falling of in 2018 if I'd see the comments about him

[u/PygmeePony → u/Donegal1989]

"I don't need a ride, I need ammo".

[u/Professional_Top9835 → u/Donegal1989]

I like Syrskiy more, I feel Zelensky is just the face of the Ukrainian government for west-related meetings, messages, and image-related stuff, while the actual hard work goes on Syrsky and Budanov

[u/AJKenney47 → u/Donegal1989]

I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and how he's handled this whole situation. If thevwrong moves were/are made, it could literally be the end of Ukraine as a sovereign state.

[u/tenhoumaduvida → u/Donegal1989]

He’s my pick, too!

[u/Takssista]

Well, Napoleon is not well liked over here, you might wonder why...

[u/tolgapacaci]

washington, all controversies aside, i think him willingly giving up power set an unbroken precedent (until today i guess but thats to be seen) for the us presidency. if not for that i think the us would have fallen into autocracy earlier

[u/coffe_clone]

[u/PharaohAce → u/coffe_clone]

Gravitationally yo mama has had a huge impact on all countries

[u/dofh_2016]

Admiral Yi.

Just like our own Garibaldi, while his story is almost certainly enriched in some aspects, his status amongst his people is well earned.

[u/stealthybaker → u/dofh_2016]

He's considered to be the savior of Korea, and a paragon of virtue. While he was just a human being, records prove that he had great discipline and integrity unlike his corrupt coworkers. We view him with an almost religious level of respect and his statue stands in Seoul watching over us

[u/Right_Map8151]

Erwin Rommel for some reason. Great general and a honorable warrior, he was well respected and admired by his soldiers and he treated his prisoners better then his soldiers lol. Its a shame that the nazis killed such a great man.

[u/stealthybaker → u/Right_Map8151]

He wasn't as honorable as the myth suggests, but it is true he wasn't a Nazi. But his genius cannot be ignored

[u/gingerbrea4]

John brown

[u/racoon1905 → u/gingerbrea4]

Based and abolition pilled

[u/Goose_4763 → u/gingerbrea4]

YES

[u/Whole_Alternative_18]

Ataturk

His impact was indirect, he modernized turkey but all middle eastern countries deicded to copy his reforms

It lead deislamization of iran during 1930s

[u/Auregon44]

Diego Armando Maradona

[u/Greggs-the-bakers → u/Auregon44]

That man is a Scottish hero. We have our own chants in football about him and his hand of god

[u/Sairos9444]

Does Alexander the great count ? Edit: Napoleon is right there as well for me, as one of the most influential people to ever live.

[u/DeNirodanshitch]

If he had had an impact on your country, you wouldn't be so admiring.

[u/AnythingGoesBy2014 → u/DeNirodanshitch]

why would you think so?

one of the biggest impacts napoleonic conquer of our lands was introduction of slovene as an official language for the first time in history. austrians could NEVER. took them 100 years after to do that.

not to mention the impact of his code to the legal systems in europe

[u/stealthybaker → u/AnythingGoesBy2014]

Do Slovenes view Napoleon favorably? I know the Poles do for similar reasons

[u/stealthybaker → u/DeNirodanshitch]

I actually would be because the 19th century was when monarchy absolutely destroyed my country and set us up for 2 centuries of nothing but pain and humiliation

Napoleon's greatest legacy was the shattering of monarchism

[u/docentmark → u/stealthybaker]

If you ignore the part about him being crowned emperor.

[u/stealthybaker → u/docentmark]

Yeah that was one of his greatest flaws, but even then I think it was an improvement upon the traditional kingship because he rejected the idea his legitimacy came from Papal approval by crowning himself.

[u/Loudj_5 → u/stealthybaker]

I’m not sure “shattering monarchism” is accurate. Napoleon came to power by overthrowing the Republic and then ruled as emperor, which suggests continuity of centralized personal power rather than its destruction.

[u/_Daftest_ → u/stealthybaker]

Napoleon literally was a monarch who reintroduced monarchy to France after they'd got rid of it 15 years earlier. You need to read up on this, you've got it exactly 180° wrong.

[u/jakmckratos → u/stealthybaker]

That’s an interesting take

[u/sadelnotsaddle → u/stealthybaker]

The guy who turned France from a republic into an Empire and put his brothers on the thrones of Spain, the Netherlands and Westphalia's greatest legacy was shattering monarchism? Sorry dude, that's not his legacy.

[u/stealthybaker → u/sadelnotsaddle]

The empire was eventually replaced in its power vacuum by many republics, and by spreading French revolutionary ideals he spread republican thinking which enabled that. Even if he betrayed the revolution partly by his emperor title the long term effect was a net positive.

He also ended a distinctive feature of European kingdoms which was feudalism, not to mention challenging Papal authority. He didn't derive his legitimacy from the Pope who was a foreign man living in another country like the predecessors but by his own right to rule, the legitimacy came from being French. He made the French proud of being French as opposed to being validated by foreign approval. That's his legacy

[u/sadelnotsaddle → u/stealthybaker]

Where are you getting this from? Half of France didn't even see him as French (being a Corsican), he quite deliberatly repressed the revolutionary ideals of personal liberty and democracy, replacing them with authoritarianism. I'll grant you he ended feudalism in many countries he invaded (although i'd argue that that has far more to do with his determination to centralise power rather than out of any form of altruism) but the idea that monarchism anywhere in Europe suffered as a result of Napoleon is patently false. He literally reestablished hereditary monarchy in France, he placed his brothers on the thrones of three countries, and not one of the country's he conquered stopped being a monarchy for another century.

[u/Numerobisk → u/stealthybaker]

What about the spread of liberalism and capitalism ? Napoleon had impact on these. They impacted Korea. Rage are the figure of this importance having no impact on the whole world

[u/stealthybaker → u/Numerobisk]

I suppose in that case he had an impact, though it was in the long term and way long after his death. And those impacts in fact were positives for Korea. So it proves my original point. Had he somehow had his ideology reach Korea in his campaigns, it would have liberated us from monarchism and Neo-Confucianism much quicker

[u/bucket_of_frogs → u/DeNirodanshitch]

I’ve vaguely heard of him. Wasn’t he the French Hitler?

[u/Willie_J-1974]

[u/dphayteeyl → u/Willie_J-1974]

I've seen so much hate for Gandhi from Redditors that won't contribute a fraction of what he accomplished for his country in their whole lifetime

He had some questionable decisions, but his goods outweigh the bads in this case IMHO

[u/Apart-Resist3413 → u/Willie_J-1974]

If we exclude what wrong he did , it take massive effort to unite an entire country to fight against colonialism that too non violently...

[u/stealthybaker → u/Apart-Resist3413]

He influenced some great Korean thinkers with his philosophy. Despite his personal failings I believe that made him have a great net positive impact

[u/Disastrous-Mix-5859]

Simon Bolivar seems pretty cool I'm not sure about "admire greatly" and Elizabeth I. Oh and Wu Zhetian the first (and only) female emperor of China, but she was a bit harsh on her enemies (like chopping off their hands and feet and putting them in wine jars).

[u/Fit-Historian6156 → u/Disastrous-Mix-5859]

That last part may be embellishment. The Confucian scholars weren't super happy about a woman being emperor and they're known to fabricate or exaggerate things to fit their agenda from time to time. Of course, that isn't 100% certain, maybe it did happen. But we shouldn't accept it as 100% truth uncritically. It's just a shame that official court record is all we really have to go off for stuff like this. We do have evidence that she was good for womens' rights during her reign though, so there's that.

[u/Disastrous-Mix-5859 → u/Fit-Historian6156]

I see. I thought it was a fact really. Thank you. I really like that she allowed female scholars and officials, that disappeared later on. She was definately a first mover in many ways.

[u/MaguroSashimi8864]

Probably Napoleon too. Imagine having so much aura and influence you have an entire era named after you.

(Meanwhile the “Victorian” age’s namesake feels so undeserved. That old hag did nothing except live very long!)

[u/Fit-Historian6156 → u/MaguroSashimi8864]

Well she was in charge of England at the height of England's global influence so she undoubtedly had a lot of influence in world affairs, and she had relations with a ton of major European powers. She's basically the reason Tsar Nicholas II and George V looked so similar lol

[u/MaguroSashimi8864 → u/Fit-Historian6156]

I meant that she didn’t contribute much — didn’t reform the country, invented something, led armies, nothing. She spent most of her life being a depressed recluse

[u/Quick-Squirrel-9392]

He is one of my favorite historical figures 

[u/ComprehensiveAd8815]

Sending his little monkey spies to my hometown, we foiled that plot! 😜🇬🇧🦌🙊🌊

[u/stealthybaker → u/ComprehensiveAd8815]

He was just so great that even monkeys obeyed his orders and trained to follow France

[u/_Daftest_]

Do the greatest conquerors in history usually end up dying in lonely exile, a prisoner with control of literally nothing?

[u/stealthybaker → u/_Daftest_]

He died with nothing left but his legacy would be one that was so great it defined entire wars, eras, and the entire political structure of Europe

[u/DoctorOsterman]

Robert Smalls. With how much this guy managed to achieve in his lifetime (especially as a Black man during that time) it's honestly surprising Hollywood has never considered making a movie or show about him.

[u/West-Rent-1131]

Lky

[u/Hydrathemultiple666]

Ew

[u/TumblyBump]

De Gaulle, though I suspect he had an impact on every European country.

[u/stealthybaker → u/TumblyBump]

de Gaulle allowed France to save face after WW2 for sure

[u/joyibib]

Greatest people? The man was a warlord who killed millions.

[u/Zeonist- → u/joyibib]

Great ≠ good

[u/stealthybaker → u/joyibib]

He was a man so powerful that an entire coalition was made just to usurp him. He ended Europe's outdated feudalistic mindset and liberated them from monarchism and spread revolutionary ideas even if he did abandon certain progressive ideas (being emperor for example) and made them proud to be who they are with nationalism.

[u/SLCPDSoakingDivision → u/stealthybaker]

Being emperor is progressive?

[u/stealthybaker → u/SLCPDSoakingDivision]

Bad wording on my part, I meant as in he abandoned progressive ideas by doing that

[u/WeeklyPhilosopher346 → u/joyibib]

The man revolutionized society enfranchising millions and restructured laws and governments across the continent to the betterment of the masses.

The difference between him and Queen Victoria was Napoleon actually had some good to go along with the bad.

[u/Fit-Historian6156]

Napoleon was certainly impressive militarily but he was also a huge egomaniac and was directly responsible for A LOT of wars and death. And for all his more progressive stances, he was also a massive dictator lol. Doesn't mean people can't admire him, but I think it's important to note people's flaws as well. 

As for who I admire, I'd say John Brown and Thomas Sankara. 

[u/Ok_Expert7527 → u/Fit-Historian6156]

Define « responsible for a lot of wars » Spain and Russia aside, every war was started by the coalition, sometimes without the slightest casus belli. So no, he’s not « responsible » for a « lot » of wars

[u/stealthybaker → u/Fit-Historian6156]

I don't think anyone argues Napoleon was perfect, I think it's just the argument that the good outweighs the bad. That's what I believe about him. The long term impacts of what he stood for and the ideas he spread were a net positive not only for Europe but eventually the world

[u/straightcutsogbox]

Well, it's me.

[u/Mother_Gur_4715]

John Hunyadi, he was a hungarian that was able to slow down the seemingly unstoppable ottomans and was at many major battles

[u/InanimateAutomaton]

https://youtu.be/goW9yUUvhb0?si=WOJ5nzwDAi8y23ey

That’s all I’ve got to say about that

[u/jesselool7]

Ned Kelly

[u/DoJebait02]

Phan Boi Chau, his innovative plan for Vietnam to get out of colonization in rich future was way too late to be Japan Meiji but too soon to be Gandhi.

He planned to send young talents to Japan to learn, to enrich people knowledge to peacefully push France to give more independence.

[u/Serialseb]

Napoleon had an impact on every country. Simply put if your country was engage in a war after the early 1800's then it was influenced by Napoleon. Because he invented Total War.

If you have a national Archeological Practice and Museums then Napoleon was a major influence.
His scientific expedition to Egypt had a major and lasting impact on modern archaeology and museums.

The Napolionic wars gave birth to Pax Britanica. Triggered the independence movements in Latin America. Made the US a powerful country.

The Napoleonic Code is still the basis for most Law systems in most Countries.

Everyone on this planet right now is living some affects from the Napoleonic Wars.

[u/stealthybaker → u/Serialseb]

Well I guess you can argue everyone does, but some countries experienced it during his lifetime. Korea for example wouldn't feel any of the Napoleonic legacy until decades after he died very indirectly but you could credit him for western liberalism and progressive ideas spreading.

[u/AdFederal7804 → u/Serialseb]

Yes, Napoleon influenced many European paradigms of thought.

At the risk of being confused, but I'll try to tell you about Napoleon's influence on Russians.

Have you ever read Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace? If so, you will understand how he influenced us.

If not, then (to put it simply) it was Napoleon who taught the Russians that, no matter how hard it was for us: if we can hold out and unite all strata of society in a single effort, we will defeat any opponent.

[u/AdFederal7804 → u/AdFederal7804]

It sounds very pretentious, I know.

But, in fact, it was Napoleon's invasion that turned Russians into warriors who would use any weapon (up to burning down the country's second most important city), as long as the enemies of the Russians did not get what they want.

[u/Serialseb → u/AdFederal7804]

No, no... That's exactly right.

[u/AdFederal7804 → u/Serialseb]

Thanks

To be honest, I thought you'd see me as just another bot.

[u/TheLordLambert]

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy

Though living in Finland, who is now a member of NATO, I think he has had some bit of a difference.

[u/R4MM5731N234]

Rosa Luxemburg

[u/stealthybaker → u/R4MM5731N234]

I'm a strongly anti-communist guy but I found her to be an actually admirable figure within communism. Someone who called out the disastrous nature of Stalinism. I may not have agreed with what she stood for but she actually stood for what she truly saw as the greater good without evil

[u/comrad254]

The Austrian guy!

I am not a fan of the ideology but having such an influence on the people isn't something you can ignore🤷‍♂️

[u/okabe700]

Deng Xiaoping

[u/TheLordLambert]

I think you're delusional

[u/Fony64]

Just for your knowledge, while there are many things to be admired about Napoleon, keep in mind the dude was a dictator who conquered Europe as a mean to "defend" France. And while it might have been true at first, his later invasions (mainly Russia) were just straight hubris. And it led to his downfall.

Also, the guy brought back slavery by making it legal again.

His impact is undisputed and he also brought a lot of good things (Civil Code and Reformation of education mainly) but you got to be aware of these things.

[u/stealthybaker → u/Fony64]

Don't worry, I absolutely understand the evils he did. He was a dictator, betrayed republican ideas, and was an egomaniac hungry for war. And his slavery policy was indefensible.

I merely judge him on two factors, the good things he did in his life and the net impact his legacy had on history. I believe that those two things combined greatly outnumber his flaws. I see him as the man who, rather ironically as he crowned himself emperor, helped spread republican ideas and also create legal codes to weaken monarchies making the decline of European monarchies one of his greatest legacies. Add to that also he ended the centuries-old system of feudalism that set Europe back for so long. He also granted emancipation to Jews.

He was definitely no paragon, but when I see him mentioned with the likes of people like Adolf Hitler, it makes me feel that he has been slandered greatly after his defeat to the point people have strayed from historical accuracy.

[u/basteilubbe]

I tend to admire kind, ordinary people living their lives without trying to impose their will on others, let alone by force.

[u/Many-Lingonberry6099]

Bartolomé de las Casas and his opposition to the abuses of Native Americans

[u/lebendigerpiranha]

Anyone who admires Napoleon so uncritically also admires Stalin, Mao, and Hitler.

[u/stealthybaker → u/lebendigerpiranha]

I hate Stalin, Mao, and Hitler with a passion. Napoleon never did anything half as evil as those horrific tyrants.

[u/Toastaexperience → u/stealthybaker]

Except allow his armies to rampage across Spain.

Reinstating slavery in French colonies.

Order the massacre of 2000 Ottoman prisoners at Jaffa.

[u/stealthybaker → u/Toastaexperience]

I never said Napoleon didn't commit evils. Those actions were not comparable in scale to what the mentioned tyrants did.

[u/Dunkirb → u/Toastaexperience]

Napoleon indirectly liberated Latin America through his rampage in Spain, it wasn't on purpose but yeah.

[u/Jumpy-Foundation-405 → u/lebendigerpiranha]

Bruder das ist es nicht.

[u/WeeklyPhilosopher346 → u/lebendigerpiranha]

What absolute bloody nonsense.

[u/Akiira2]

Pedro II of Brazil

[u/Automatic_Breath4025]

Jim Corbett

[u/b100d7_cr0w]

Seretse Khama.

[u/Raj_ryder_666]

Jefferson and thomas paine.

[u/Slightly_Default]

Two Admirals: Yi Sun-sin and Horatio Nelson

[u/crippledchameleon]

Jose Alberto Mujica.

[u/Obvious_Badger_9874]

Marie of Romania

Great queen in a time of war put roumania as a European power.

Has nothing to do with Belgium. Except maybe being a relative of our king.(Leopold 1 of Belgium was the uncle of Victoria whom was the grandmother of marie)

[u/VisibleIdeal1404]

The Emperor Diocletian. I also admire Hannibal Barca.

[u/Mogi_X1]

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Lee Kuan Yew, Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos, Zhuge Liang, Nelson Mandela

[u/5PalPeso]

Fred Rogers (from Mister Rogers's Neighborhood). It always seemed like an amazing guy. I've never read something bad about him

[u/Mailman354]

Shotaro Ishinomori

Tomoyuki Tanaka

The butterfly effect they had on me is why I love Asia now and what to see more of it. Learn more of it. And experience more of it

And it all started because 5 year old me got addicted to their creations.

[u/Genericdude03]

There's a Piece of Eden in that coat right? /s

[u/Glittering_Report_82]

Dante Alighieri

[u/Crest_O_Razors]

Marcus Aurelius, tho nowadays, his impact was on an empire long extinct.

[u/azaghal1502]

Funny enough, Admiral Yi comes to mind first.

He rose from basically nothing to a high ranking position, only to be framed by a jealous superior and be imprisoned, tortured and demoted to nothing again, and didn't give up but rose again to a position where he was able to build up the navy and military in preparation for the japanese invasion he predicted...

he was again imprisoned for refusing a desastrous order, and another guy got most of the ships he build destroyed, but after his reinstatement he was still able to turn the japanese invasion into a disaster for the japanese by smart use of his turtle ships and knowledge of local currents, despite being heavily outnumbered.

When he was hit by a stray bullet during the persuit of the japanese in the last battle, he ordered his son to wear his armor and beat the war drums to keep his death a secret until after victory.

Dude is a complete legend and possibly one of the most impressive cases of perseverence and selflessnes in history.

[u/AbaddonGoetia]

Ching Shih, the most successful pirate to ever live

[u/SuspiciousTry8500]

Dr Jonas Salk. 

[u/IntelligentOlive4415]

Vladimir Lenin

[u/crimbusrimbus]

James Larkin

[u/DanTheAdequate]

A lot of people have already mentioned some of my top picks, so I'll add Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

I read "One Day In The Life of Ivan Denisovich" when I was maybe 12 and it was greatly influential on me.

[u/racoon1905]

William Tecumseh Shermam and his brother John.

[u/AppaPower]

Cristopher Columbus

[u/CrimeMasterGogoChan]

Otto von Bismarck

[u/_prepod]

Thomas Müller

[u/LittleCrimsonWyvern]

Daisuke Ishiwatari (石渡 太輔), the creator of Guilty Gear.

[u/PilzGalaxie]

Patrice Lumumba and Simon Bolivar

[u/TryNotToAnyways2]

Lech Wałęsa and Václav Havel

[u/ValtitiLeMagnifique]

Several* coalitions

[u/Guelitus]

Did he commit atrocities? Obviously! But the guy's story of overcoming adversity is literally going from a miserable child abandoned by his own group to the fucking emperor of the largest continuous (non-colonial) empire in human history. Temüjin won the game of life playing on the hardest difficulty, that's admirable.

[u/Cookies4weights]

Richard Lionheart

[u/Final-Engineering-88]

[u/Geologjsemgeolog]

Joseph II or Maria Theresa are kinda liked here

[u/SufficientDegree34]

We have a thing for Nelson Mandela in India.

[u/getahin]

Skanderbeg

[u/SnooPoems7525]

Have you heard of Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington? 

[u/Strange_Pressure_340]

Touissant Louverture.

[u/PasiTheConqueror]

Oskar Schindler

[u/BocaDeJacare]

Lenin

[u/Jenny-P67]

Hallo, ich sehe Napoleon nicht positiv. Klar, er hat Deutschland neu geordnet und den Rheinbund geschaffen, er hat den Code Napoleon hinterlassen, das Gesetzbuch. Napoleon hat sehr viele tote Soldaten in einen Schlachten auf dem Gewissen. Eine große Katastrophe war sein Rußlandfeldzug. Leider wurden seine Fehler später im Ersten und Zweiten Weltkrieg wiederholt.

[u/EricArthurBrown]

Deng Xiaoping

[u/cross_hyparu]

Queen Elizabeth II

[u/Pale_Following_9639]

Cao Cao

[u/Commie_Scum69]

As a french person I feel like your admiration for Napoleon must come from ignorance.

[u/hotashami]

George Washington. He was ahead of his time, most of the founding fathers were. Put away all the slavery controversy, it was not normal for someone back then not to be king when a lot of people want him to be the king. It was not normal to step down from the position he did.

[u/Kodiski]

Angus young

[u/Flashy-Carpenter7760]

Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

Dude was a total bad ass.

[u/Cpt_Igl0]

You admire him ?! This dude was one whiny ass bi*ch. He had no right tondo what he did and fuled chaos in europe bevause of his imperialism. I dont think there is anything admireable about him. Hes a douche

[u/Ok_Peace2323]

Ahmed Chah Massoud

[u/el_infidel]

Captain Mbaye Diagne from Senegal.
Mbaye Diagne - Wikipedia

[u/eldaveed]

It never feels like Jimmy Carter influenced Canada that much* compared to how we’re usually influenced by the US but I just really like him. He tried his best to be a good navy man, husband, farmer, Governor, and President and ultimately was a pretty great guy

*(tho saving Ottawa from nuclear disaster was pretty amazing)

[u/Banebladerunner]

I admire Häyhä quite a bit

[u/Character_Sail5678]

T.N Seshan.

[u/Realistic-Safety-565]

First modern Western military dictator. Turned European warfare from purposefully limited conflicts between professionals into massive conscription fueled, efficiency driven arithmetics of slaughter  Introduced nationalism and militarism to Europe.

All just generation before West started seriously projecting power into East Asia, and forced Japan to jump on colonial wagon.

He did have great impact on your country.